Rowett: Debatable decisions

Albion manager Gary Rowett has backed his side to turn around their own misfortune after being on the wrong side of two key decisions against Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.

Burton went behind after defender Phil Edwards was judged to have brought down forward Zavon Hines inside the box, a decision that was to be the contentious issue at full-time.

The Brewers boss explained: "If you look at the start of the game Phil Edwards has got booked for two innocuous challenges and one of which I definitely thought he got a ball and the other I thought he had a good chance to get the ball and the referee gave a yellow card and actually pointed for persistent fouling which after five minutes is quite unusual.

"For the penalty people can make their own minds up but I was told clearly that Phil had took his leg away and it looked like he had done to me, I am not saying Hines has dived, I think he has kicked his own leg and gone down and you could see the mark in the pitch.

"The referee has said no, he's actually said no to himself and the lads said he was literally about to not give anything and suddenly the crowd have erupted and he's given a penalty."

"It was a massive moment in the game," he added.

Despite going behind inside the first 10 minutes at Victoria Road Rowett reckons the Brewers had plenty of opportunities to get themselves back on level terms.

"We've had lots of good opportunities, balls into the box, balls that have dropped, set-pieces we looked a threat at again, I am disappointed really to have come here and talk about what is to a certain degree decisions that are out of our control."

After going behind to a Hines penalty Albion began to dictate the play but couldn't find a way past John Wards' side to the frustration of Rowett.

"I couldn't tell you that in the first half they have overran us, they've not had too many clear-cut chances that they've created.

"They were a good side as we knew they would be.

"What we have got to do as a team at the moment is just get a little bit of fortune with one or two things.

"We're not quite getting those little rubs of the green," said Rowett.

The manager reserved praise for forward Adam McGurk who lead the line before pulling to right in the second-half when Michael Symes was introduced.

He said: "We've got to do more, more as individuals, I thought Adam McGurk was as good as any player on the pitch today, I thought he was fantastic and I think one or two just need to up their game a little bit and up the level to do that.

On McGurk he added: "He's a clever player, he's a terrific player and has so much to offer and he's going to be a massive bonus for us this season.

"I don't think there is too many other players in this division who can do what he can do."

Substitute Symes picked up a late injury after coming on the the closing stages and manager Rowett believes the injury just summed up their luck at Victoria Road, a ground the Brewers haven't won at since 2002.

"What summed the day up was Michael Symes coming on as a sub and with 20 minutes to go pulled his groin and all our subsistutes were made and suddenly we were down to 10 men," he added.